Put the Gal in Galatians 4?

The passage for this Sunday has undergone a lot of hardship in our modern day world, what with talk of inheritance, heirs and sons, well it just doesn’t sound very post modern. 

Some would say that if the Bible were truly inspired it would be timeless and without flaws like talking about sons when it should say “children.”  If God were speaking through Paul he would have been more careful about who got in on all those important pronouns and gender specific objects, you know, those who get the really good things from God.  Read it yourself—Galatians 4:4-7.  Is God picking half the population to get all the inheritance of His goodness?

Translators have struggled with this, and their task is supremely difficult.  They try to be faithful to the original text while being culturally relevant and so some translators put “children” instead of “sons” to make this passage more inclusive.  Their goal is admirable but they miss the point.  God is not excluding half the population, He doing exactly the opposite – this passage is ground breaking, rule breaking, culture breaking!  God is including all the world:

⁴But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ⁶And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Everyone is included in “we might receive,”  Paul is trying to say here that formally only the firstborn son would get anything, and even in Jewish culture the firstborn male heir was primary, but now you are sons because of Jesus Christ, sons as those who receive everything good that God gives.  Forgiveness, new life, community, guidance, inner strength and eternal life are given to us, all people, regardless of race, gender, or social status.  When God gives a gift, He gives big and doesn’t exclude.
 

The OMT on the WOG

Theologians like big, old words in dead languages.  And the words abbreviated as OMT represent three words by which to study God’s Word – Oratio, Meditatio, and Tentatio.  Don’t those just roll off your tongue?  NO?  Well perhaps you can see why Latin is a dead language, but the meaning, OH, the meaning!  That is where we find the good stuff.

When you OMT on the WOG, you discover the richness of the Word of God (WOG).  It is a beautiful cycle created by hard work.  Luther said of studying the Bible:

 ”Let him who wants to contemplate in the right way reflect on his Baptism; let him read his Bible, hear sermons, honor father and mother, and come to the aid of a brother in distress. But let him not shut himself up in a nook…and their entertain himself with his devotions and thus suppose that he is sitting in God’s bosom and has fellowship with God without Christ, without the Word, without the sacraments” (AE 3:275).

This is how Luther described those three little words -

Oratio – kneel down in your little room [Matt.6:6] and pray to God with real humility and earnestness, that he through his dear Son may give you his Holy Spirit, who will enlighten you, lead you, and give you understanding.

Meditatio – Secondly, you should meditate, that is, not only in your heart, but also externally, by actually repeating and comparing oral speech and literal words of the book, reading and rereading them with diligent attention and reflection, so that you may see what the Holy Spirit means by them.

Tentatio – as soon as God’s Word takes root and grows in you, the devil will harry you, and will make a real teacher of you,and by his assaults will teach you to seek and love God’s Word.

I call this a cycle because Tentatio produces more Oratio.  Prayer is inspired by difficulty but speaks the best when it is grounded in the WOG, that is the Word of God. 

Celebrating Christmas

Trinity has two special Christmas services this year. 

Christmas Eve service (December 24th 7:00 PM) is a service of light which retells the story of Christ’s coming culminating in individual candles for all singing Silent Night. 

Christmas Day service (December 25th 10:00 AM) provides an opportunity to receive communion in celebration of Christ’s incarnation, when God first became a human as he was born in Bethlehem. 

More Power to You

Trinity Classrooms are receiving a power upgrade today with many rooms receiving two or more additional power sockets  to avoid the need for extension cords.  A&B Electic is doing the contract work to help our teachers who use more multimedia tools in the teaching process and therefore need more outlets to power those tools. 

I found Tony hard at work shaping conduit for the additional plugs in the 2nd grade classroom.

Preschool Presentation Gives the Present of Joy

 

Trinity was fill with parents and family all eager to see the preschoolers celebrate the coming of Christmas.  The program chronicled the Christmas story which was narrated by preschoolers with drama and songs to bring the story alive.  Thanks to Maureen Tengbergen, Lani Carson and all the preschool aides for working so hard to create a great evening.

For those of you who took pictures, email me (Pastor Shawn) some so I can post them (my mobile phone pictures don’t do the event justice).

Younger Classes Bring Joy to Older Adults at Aged to Perfection

                  

Aged to Perfection is an adult day care center located at the Methodist church in Wahiawa.  Tania, their program director, invites groups from the community to come share school activities with their clients.  Today the Trinity students from kindergarten through 2nd grade had to opportunity to share some selections from our Christmas musical, “A King is Coming.”  The public performance is Thursday.

New Parade Pictures Posted

Please see the recently added Christmas Parade pictures:

http://trinityhawaii.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/rain-doesnt-dampen-christmas-parades-spirit/

Thanks Abby for the pictures.

Band and Handbells Concert Rings in the Christmas Season

The Beginning and Advanced Band joined with the 5th grade and Middle School Handbells Choir to ring in the Christmas Season on the week of Christmas presentations.  Allen Bauchle directs the band and Heidi Hazel directs the handbells. 

                                                              

“Lutheran School” 4th place in the Cool School Contest

Thank you to all those who cast their votes.

You may see the results below, or online at http://www.khnl.com/Global/category.asp?C=98964.

Hawaii’s Cool Schools

Kealakehe has won our November 2007 Cool Schools poll. Thanks for your participation.

Kealakehe   4,134 Sacred Hearts   4,122 Waimea   947 Lutheran School   542 Leilehua   454 UH Lab School   426 Maili Bible School   401 Iolani   255 Kahuku   209 Pearl City   190 Konawaena   177 Kaiser   115 Moanalua   101 Kauai   99 Baldwin   89 Maui   82     Total votes cast   12,351

High Winds and Heavy Rains Hold Back Many

Trinity canceled school on Wednesday because of the stormy whether that knocked down power poles, street lights and trees.  Unlike the snowy midwest, school is rarely canceled on island but with the combination of dangerous driving and stranded families and teachers the administration decided to keep Trinity families safe at home.  Trinity still held its Advent services Wednesday evening serving up warm soups and heart-warming worship.

Taylor Gavin said that his electricity finally came back on at 10:00 PM last night. 

Donn Paige, another North Shore resident, admitted sheepishly that he is addicted to electricity and didn’t want to return home after the Advent services on Wednesday night.